


First Impressions

by Grimmseye



Series: Partnership [1]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Catra and Scorpia are there but not the focus, F/M, Pre-Relationship, Season/Series 01, pretty much just going over their first impressions of one another
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:00:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24525040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grimmseye/pseuds/Grimmseye
Summary: She seemed to have misunderstood the question. “Why are you with the Horde,” he elaborated. “You arrived here as a part of the infiltration with the… princess alliance.” The name nearly made him roll his eyes. “What made you swap loyalties so quickly?”He could only describe her reaction as wilting. She hunched forward, a tendril of hair pulling that mask over her face. It hid her expression, though the movement only drew attention to her distress. “They left me behind,” she said, voice tinny from behind the mask.------After learning of her plan with the black garnet, Hordak decides it's time to meet the captured princess.
Relationships: Entrapta & Hordak (She-Ra), Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra)
Series: Partnership [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1772365
Comments: 25
Kudos: 246





	First Impressions

_Princess Entrapta._

It had been a… _miscalculation_ , on his part, overlooking the princess of Dryl. Her name had flitted through his circles, revered on Etheria for her technological aptitude, and dismissed an instant later with the assumption that meant she could have nothing to offer them. The resources of Dryl, that _did_ interest him, but the mountainous terrain had made mobilization difficult, and the Horde had access to enough mines to sustain their production. It simply was not a priority. 

It should have been. He would not betray that, but examining the bot that Entrapta had _tinkered_ with, an inward rage welled up inside of him. If he had gotten her in his clutches _before_ that She-ra appeared, _before_ the isolated kingdoms allied with one another, Etheria would have already been his. _Idiocy._ Etheria was a backwater planet, but he needed to account for _exceptions._

A chittering laugh alerted him to Imp’s arrival. He had sent for Force Captains Catra and Scorpia to bring their _prisoner_ before him. The princess’ ideas intrigued him. Excited him, even. To think that the garnet he’d had in his possession since the beginning of his reign would be the key to the very planet he was conquering. 

“What do you have for me?” He prompted Imp. 

The creature smiled, and opened its mouth.

 _“Don’t you have anything better to wear?”_ It was Catra’s voice. 

_“Nope!”_ Entrapta was a shrill speaker, a sound that made him wince. _“These are my working clothes! Why would I show up in anything else?”_

 _“Because it’s_ Lord Hordak, _and you need to show him_ respect.” Catra was terse. He heard footsteps, a small yelp from Entrapta. _“He_ hates _princesses, okay? You need to make yourself indispensable. One, so that he doesn’t put you on the next flight to Beast Island, and_ two, _so that he doesn’t send_ me _with you!”_

_“Okay, okay! I really don’t have any other clothes, though, I’ve been washing these in the sink whenever Scorpia isn’t watching!”_

A pause. 

_“I’m sorry!”_ Scorpia’s voice. Hordak lowered his face into a hand. She really _shouldn’t_ be a Force Captain, but she was a competent fighter and the conditions of her kingdom’s surrender had him ensure Scorpia’s position in the Horde would be comfortable and respected. Hordak did not go back on his word. 

_“Okay, look. Just let me do the talking._ Don’t _start blabbering at him or you’ll piss him off. When you enter, bow. And you know what, just take that as a constant. If he shows up, or even just appears on one of those screens, you bow. You know how to_ bow, _right?”_

Imp closed his mouth, chirping with satisfaction as Hordak scratched under his chin. It wasn’t particularly informative, only assurance that despite Catra’s insolence towards Shadow Weaver, she _did_ have respect for him. That was good. As long as she kept in that line, she would continue to excel as Force Commander. 

He heard their approaching footsteps, both his and Imp’s ears more sensitive than the Etherian human. A flick of Imp’s wings sent him up into the thick cables overhead, to loom just within their view. 

The doors hissed open, the two Force Commanders flanking Entrapta. It was his first time seeing her, and he nearly had to squint. She was diminutive, with long purple hair pulled into twin pigtails. She was indeed dressed for work, a welding mask atop her head, safety goggles around her neck, a protective apron tucked down around her waist, steel-toed boots… It looked like she was prepared to launch into the next project at a moment’s notice. He could approve of that. 

They ascended the stairs, stopping at the edge of the platform that held his throne to stoop into bows — Entrapta delayed, until Catra grabbed her by the pigtails to yank her down as well with a yelp from the princess. Hold for _two, three,_ and they straightened up again, Catra taking a pace forward. 

“Lord Hordak,” she greeted, in a tone that projected confidence but spoke of nerves. Her tail lashed behind her, something he knew the feline species to do when agitated. It was what he most disliked about _humans,_ the difficulty in reading their moods, no ears or tails to add detail to the contortions of the face. “I brought the prisoner, as you requested.” 

She reached back, grabbing Entrapta by the front of her shirt and yanking her forward. “As you know, the princess here thinks she can use the Black Garnet to, uh,” 

“To tip Etheria’s balance between the other Runestones!” 

Catra’s eyes widened, pupils dilating as she looked to Entrapta. Hordak followed her gaze, finding the princess standing _on_ her hair. And that was curious. Human hair was inanimate, and Dryl explicitly lacked a runestone. 

Catra clapped a hand over Entrapta’s mouth, forcing them both into a bow. “I’m sorry about her,” Catra gulped. “She doesn’t know —” 

“Let her speak.” Hordak raised a hand. He wasn’t interested in flexing his authority just yet. “I want to know about this plan.” 

  
  
  


Entrapta only kind of _sort_ of understood who Lord Hordak was. 

The Horde were the enemies of the Princess Alliance. The Princess Alliance had left her behind, so she no longer had to consider the ethical dilemma of working for the enemies of her friends — they never were her friends in the first place! It was nice to be able to sort things out cleanly. 

The Horde had access to the best functioning technology she’d ever seen. _That_ was why she was here. They had robots, and they liked it when she hooked them up with lasers that melted through steel walls instead of fussing about damage that could easily be repaired. They had a _runestone,_ and they were going to let her _hack_ it. They asked her about her theories, and even if she had to explain them far more simply and quickly than she would _prefer,_ they listened. They encouraged her. They brought her to this Lord Hordak guy to get permission to do it. 

His suit had distracted her, initially, some kind of armor fitted with tubes — what were they pumping? Was it armor, or more like a robotic chassis he could don, potentially to enhance the body’s natural abilities alongside providing protection — 

Then they mentioned the Runestone and that immediately took her focus. 

“You see, uh, Lord Hordak, uh, sir,” she was pretty sure she got that one right, “you know that the Runestones have elemental alignments?”

“I do.” He nodded once. 

Entrapta grinned. “These alignments mean that they influence the very balance of the planet. Whatever the First Ones did integrated all of Etheria with some kind of network, one that I am able to access through the Black Garnet. I can siphon power away from the other Runestones and into the Garnet, simultaneously boosting our power within the Fright Zone, weakening the others and with them the powers of the princesses, _and_ throwing the planet's elemental balance out of control!” Her voice pitched up into a cackling laugh, bouncing with delight. 

“I see.” Was Lord Hordak's rumble. Entrapta calmed herself, remembering abruptly that she wasn’t supposed to cackle in front of Lord Hordak, and yet he didn’t admonish her, or even snap. He was leaning forward in his throne, chin propped in one hand, eyes intent on her. Bright red, _glowing,_ and while she wasn't a biologist she had to wonder how. “That is. _Quite_ a feat you are promising me. Are you sure you are capable?” 

“I am _completely_ confident,” Entrapta promised. “It may take several tries but I’ve been studying First One’s tech since I was this tall!” She motioned with her hair. “With enough time and the right resources, the real question becomes what _can’t_ we do.” 

There’s a moment’s pause. Lord Hordak raises a hand, gesturing towards the exit. “Force Captains, you will leave us. I wish to converse with Princess Entrapta in private.”

Entrapta felt a thrill of alarm, eyes widening. Scorpia and Catra looked just as uneasy. Catra had impressed upon her just how dangerous he was. What had she messed up? 

_Let me do the talking,_ Catra had said. _Don’t blabber._

“Oh no,” Entrapta murmured to herself. 

“That was an order,” Lord Hordak growled. Both Catra and Scorpia stooped into bows, Scorpia giving Entrapta one last look before they turned and descended the stairs, leaving her alone with with the ruler of the Horde. 

  
  
  


She wore her emotions on her sleeve. Smiling and bouncing, twisting, laughing, clasping her hands. Everything about her had radiated excitement, her laugh going as far as to sound _sinister_ at the prospect of the chaos she could bring. 

Discounting her had been a severe miscalculation indeed. He needed to ensure Entrapta had access to any supplies she required. 

When he dismissed the captains, he saw her body language change. The exuberance vanished, hunching into herself, hair curling around her arms. Fear, wariness. The way she tracked after her companions — she didn’t want to be left alone with him. 

Good. 

When the doors shut, Hordak rose. “Tell me your name,” he commanded. He _knew_ it, of course, but that wasn’t the point. 

“En-Entrapta,” she stammered. 

_“Princess_ Entrapta, correct?” 

“Yes. Yes, _sir.”_

“Why are you here?” 

The question seemed to take her off guard. She furrowed her brows, saying, “Because you called me here?” 

Attitude? No. She seemed to have misunderstood the question. “Why are you with the _Horde,”_ he elaborated. “You arrived here as a part of the infiltration with the… _princess alliance.”_ The name nearly made him roll his eyes. “What made you swap loyalties so quickly?”

He could only describe her reaction as _wilting._ She hunched forward, a tendril of hair pulling that mask over her face. It hid her expression, though the movement only drew attention to her distress. “They left me behind,” she said, voice tinny from behind the mask. 

_“Ahhhh.”_ Understanding filtered through. “You want revenge. I can provide that.” 

“No.” 

The answer gave him pause. Hordak raised a brow ridge. “You joined the enemy of you former companions after they abandoned you. In what way is that not seeking revenge?”

“Those two occurrences are unrelated,” she claimed. “Yes, I was… left behind, and therefore any loyalty I may have had to them is no longer considered in my ethical deliberations. However, I did not join out of a sense of self-righteous justice nor a desire to inflict harm — I joined because I’m interested in your tech.” With that, her voice began to brighten. “As I said, I’ve been studying First Ones’ tech since I was a _kid!_ I’ve only been able to locate a few of their ruins and learn pieces of their language, though, and that makes determining the function of their tech _almost_ impossible. However, _you_ have an entire kingdom of fully functioning, developing tech, the likes of which _no one_ on Etheria has been able to rival. While there are some basic flaws in their designs, the overall product is _amaaaazing.”_

She flipped up her mask at that point, hovering on the ends of her pigtails with arms stretched out wide, a bright smile on her face. "If I'm allowed to play with this stuff I want in! And now I get to work with a _Runestone."_ She looked downright dreamy.

Hordak regarded her for a long moment. His eyes narrowed. 

Science for the sake of science. Progress for the sake of progress. She didn't hold malice, and yet didn't seem to _care_ what her inventions were meant to do. 

That would work. 

Hordak drew closer, watching as Entrapta’s joy filtered back into that closed-off wariness, gasping as he reached for her — and offered a hand. 

“Welcome to The Horde, Princess Entrapta,” he rumbled. 

She stared at him. And then she breaks into a smile bright enough to make him squint as she wraps her hair around his palm to shake. 

**Author's Note:**

> I got a such a positive reaction from my first fic I immediately wanted to write more! I'm interested in exploring the development of Entrapta and Hordak's relationship through a series of one-shots and short stories. 
> 
> If you have prompts for that, I can't guarantee that I'd write it but you can feel free to drop me a message at Grimmseye on tumblr!
> 
> In any case, please let me know what you think <3


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